the crawford collection

The Crawford Collection is not going to appeal to everyone. If seeing a giraffe head or bull elephant head is going to upset you, then this is not your stop and drive on by. However, if you are interested in big game trophies and want the experience of seeing them up close, this will be an interesting venue for you.The Crawford Collection is a private museum, so the hours are dependent upon the family's availability. Check the Frederick Chamber of Commerce site, as the museum seems to be open during Frederick festivals.The Crawford Collection is easily found as it is on the main street bisecting Frederick. It consists of one large room with trophies mounted along the walls as well as the interior of the room. The mountings are very well done and there are tidbits of information about animals sprinkled around the room. Its not every day you can stand next to a bear and understand the tremendous size and potential strength of one of these animals.When we visited, there was a side table with several inch thick binders of photos from the safari including the elephant hunt. If you were ever curious what happens on before, during, and after an elephant humt, all will be answered in these photos and notes. There are also some African art displays along with the trophies.Plan on spending thirty to forty five minutes taking in all the trophies and reading the information provided. My personal opinion is, this is not a good venue for very small children, as many appeared to be visibly upset by the dead animals. I also admit to being a bit taken aback by the giraffe trophy, as its hard for me to understand why anyone would want to kill a gentle giraffe. My recommendation if you want to see a giraffe up close, go to the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville, Texas, they have a live giraffe feeding daily at 10:30 AM. Otherwise, it is an interesting hour to spend while in Frederick.